Nissan topped three vehicle segments and finished in the top three in two others in the 2018 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). J.D. Power IQS is the industry benchmark for new vehicle quality. This year, the Nissan brand improved by eight problems per hundred vehicles (PP100) to an overall average of just 85 PP100, which was best performance of all non-luxury Japanese brands.
The 2018 Nissan Frontier was the top-rated Midsize Pickup for the third consecutive year, while Maxima won Large Car honors with 57 PP100, the second highest score of any vehicle in the study. The popular Nissan Altima took top honors in the competitive Midsize Car segment with a 65 PP100 score, good for sixth among all vehicles in the survey and an 18-point improvement from the 2017 study.
The all-new 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF was another bright spot among many for the brand, with a 17-point improvement in initial vehicle quality over the car’s previous generation surveyed in 2017.
“Nissan’s J.D. Power IQS results for 2018 are encouraging because they reflect customer satisfaction directly from the people who buy and lease our vehicles,” said Mark Swenson, vice president, Total Customer Satisfaction, Nissan North America. “Positive IQS performance is a tribute to the ongoing efforts of Nissan Engineering, R&D, Quality and Manufacturing teams around the world, as well as our many global supplier partners. It is rewarding for us to see positive movement in J.D. Power IQS for three years running.”
Nissan’s nine PP100 improvement marks the brand’s third year of significant improvement in the IQS report. Almost 76,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2018 model-year vehicles were surveyed for 233 potential problems among 33 brands and 240 models from February through May 2018 for this year’s J.D. Power IQS report.
Nissan’s good news went beyond vehicle nameplates. Its massive Smyrna manufacturing plant, the largest production volume assembly plant in North America, was awarded Bronze designation for its System Two (car line) tying for third best in quality performance among North American Manufacturing facilities. System Two assembles the Altima, Maxima and LEAF EV. Adding to the positive manufacturing news; Smyrna System One (SUV line), Canton 2, MS, and Aguascalientes 1, Mexico also scored above the industry average.
About J.D. Power
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. J.D. Power is a portfolio company of XIO Group, a global alternative investments and private equity firm headquartered in London, and is led by its four founders: Athene Li, Joseph Pacini, Murphy Qiao and Carsten Geyer.
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2016, the company sold 5.63 million vehicles globally, generating revenues of 11.72 trillion yen. In fiscal 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.OV.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualized revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with a core operating profit margin of 8% and cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.OV.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolized by the world’s best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500 and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999. In 2016, Nissan acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the world’s largest automotive partnership, with combined annual sales of more than 10 million vehicles a year.
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